Reversing-gear



(No Mom.) 2 sheetssneet 1.

H. H. HUDSON.

REVBRSING GEAR.. No. 314,380. Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

H. H. HUDSON.

RBVERSING GEAR.

Patented Mar. 24, 1885.

fn Yen/for f :UNITED STATES lriTnNrA Ormes.

HARY H. HUDSON, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN. l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,380, dated March 24, 1885.

Application tiled January 16, ISF/l. (No mode'.)

T all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARY H. HUDSON, of Flint, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reversing-Gear; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in reversing-gear for steam-engines; and the invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of devices by means of which the crank which operates the valve or valves is stopped in its movement long enough to change the time of action of the valve so as to produce a reversing ofthe motion of the engine-crauk.

- versing-gear.

In the drawings which accompany this speciication, Figure lis a plan view of a steam-engine to which my reversing-gear is applied. Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of the re- Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the samewith the va1ve-rod removed. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the liner m in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar cross-section on the line y y in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a section on line ze, in a plane at right angles to the sections in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a detached view ofthe loose ring. Fig. Sis a detached perspectivevicw of the dog. l

In Fig. 1 my reversing-gear is shown applied t0 a steam-engine of ordinaryT construction, wherein A is the cylinder, B the steam-chest inclosing an oscillating valve, G the piston, D the crank-shaft, E the iiy-wheel, and F the valverod. The valve-rod Fis operated by a crank-wheel, which consists of two concentric parts, G G', one within the other. ,The inner part or hub, G, is fast upon the shaft, and the outer part, G', which carries a wrist-pin, I, forms a loose ring aroundit, which is slipped over the hub G, and is held in position thereon by the flange c ofthe hub G and the washers b b, secured to it upon the opposite side. The fast portion of the crank-wheel contains a dog, J, which is loosely inserted into a radial socket, c, at the bottom of which is placed a coi1-spring, d. The dog J is provided with a wedge-shaped head, e, which is adapted to engage into either of the two similar-shaped recesses f j" upon the iiiner faceoff the loose ring G. f K is a stop, which is secured to t-he fast portion G of the crank-wheel.

L L are two semicircular straps placed `in ki a groove, o, in the circumference of the loose ring G. The straps L L are hinged or bolted together at g, and form a frictionbrake lfor the loose ring G.' The strap L is provided with an arm or extension, l1., which at i enin Figs. l and 2, the necessary motion of the valve is obtained in the well-known lmanner by the revolutions of the two-part cranl -wheel G G', which act practically as one wheel if the power ofthe little coil-spring@ is sufficient (as it must be for the Vsuccessful operation of the device) to keep the dog J engaged into either of the two recesses ff',against the frictional resistance of the valve and its operating parts.

To reverse the motion ol" the engine-crank,

the operator takes hold of the reversing-lever and by a short quick pull tightens for an instant the friction-brake L L upon the loose ring G suiciently to force the dog vJ from its engagement with the recess f or f-, 'as the case may be, thereby arresting the valve motion; but as the fast portion of the crank keeps on revolving by the action of the ily-wheel the dog J will soon iind a new engagement into the other one of the two recesses f f', and as this second recess is so placed in regard to the rst one that the steam is reversed before the piston has completed a given travel the engine-valve is reversed and the valve-rod is again operated by the crank-wheel G G, as before. As the positions of the wrist-pin I, by which the'valve-rod is operated so as to make the engine-crank turn either the direct or the reverse way, is fixed in regard to the position of the engine-crank, it is clear that the relative positions of the recessesff in which ICO y modified as regards the particular constructhe dog J engages arev also xed, and the dog I J must be so placed that when it engages with either oneA of said recesses the proper valve motion is obtained. The lug K, which is secured to the fast portion of the crank-wheel, travels in advance of a lug, H, and is of proper size and shape to bein contact with the latter whenever the dog J is in engagement with one of the recesses f f. Whenever the engine is reversed, it makes contact with the opposite side of a lug-pin,and as it cannottravel past the same it is clear that by its interference it makes the reversing device always positive in its action.

If the operator, instead of giving a short jerky pull upon the reversing-lever, as is necessary so as to release the loose ring in time to follow the reversing action, keeps the brake tightened, it is clear that the engine will,after reversal', come to a dead stop, owing to the inactivity of the valve and the destruction of the` momentum of the fly-wheel by the prece'dingreversal. v n

To prevent the dog J from turning in its socket, its head is squared, and the recess in which it enters when it is depressed is of corresponding cross-section.

I' am aware that my device may be variously tionoi some of the parts-i`or instance, the construction of the friction-brake upon the loose ringv G, which may be of any other known construction suitable for the purpose. r)She construction of the dog J is also immaterial as long as it performs the function required-viz., to hold the loose ring in safe engagement with the fast portion of the crank, against the resistance of the operating parts ofthe valve, but release its engagement by a proportionately larger increase in friction.

Vhat I claim as my'invention is- 1. In a reversing-gear, a crank-wheel for actuating the valve, consisting of two concentric parts, the inner part being fast upon the crank-shaft ofthe engine, while the outer part, whi'chcarries the wrist-pin for the valve-rod,

forms' aloose ring around it, which is kept in engagement therewith, against the frictional resistance of the valvey motion, by a. springdog, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a reversing-gear, the actuating crankwheel of the engine-valve made in two concentric parts, the inner part being fast upon the engine-shaft, while the outer part, to which the valve-rod is secured, forms a loose ring around it, which is kept in engagement therewith, against the frictional resistance of the valve motion, by a spring-dog securedin the fast part and adapted to engage in either one of therecesses in the loose ring, in combination with a friction-brake actuated by a handlever and operating upon theloose ring of the crank-wheel, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. Ina reversing-gear, the loose ring G, carrying the crank-pin of the engine-valve rod, and forming the outer yconcentric part of a two-part crank-wheel, the inner portion, G, of which is fast upon` they engine-shaft, the spring-dog J, secured to the latter and adapted to make a breakable connection between the two, the two'recesses ff', the lug H and lug K, all combined and operating substantially as described.

4. A reversing-gear consisting ofthe twopart crank-wheel G G', arrangedk and operating substantially as described, in combination with the friction-straps-L L and bell-crank lever M, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a reversing-gear, the combination of the fast part G of the crank, provided with the iiange a, the concentric ring G', sleeved loosely upon the part G, the washers b, secured to the part G, the spring-dog J, recesses f f7, lug H, lug K, and hand-brake device L L', for the loose rin G all combined and o eratin(r subg Y. D s

stantially as described.

HARY H. HUDSON.

\Vi t n esses: J No. J. PELLETT,

WILL R. HUBBARD. 

